Cpl. Michael Ouellette

USMC

KIA 3.22.2009

CPL Michael Ouellette

At the wake for my son, Marine Cpl. Michael Ouellette, a young man came up to me to share a story.

He was a newly minted teacher and was working as a substitute inour city's school district. He was supposed to cover a couple of high schoolclasses, and was quite nervous about it. Apparently, Michael sensed this, and when some of the other kids started to torment the substitute in home room (as all students are required to do) he stood up and told them to knock it off, saying that the teacher was going to have a tough enough day. The students listened, but this young man, thinking it was some kind of trick, was nervously looking over his shoulder all day long.

After class, Mike was walking across the school's parking lot on his way home and saw someone having difficulty changing a flat tire. He stopped to see if he could help, surprised to see that it was the young teacher. As they changed the tire, they started talking, and laughing about the incident in home room that morning. He said that he had appreciated Mike's help and would always remember that day, hoping he would find more kids like Mike.